[Redline6800]

Honda City (petrol) for me!

Excellent interiors (for the segment), space, well thought out feature list and the design is growing on me. The engine has also received TBHP approval. Performance upto 120 kmph should be more than adequate. Interior and boot space is also a plus.

Keen pricing too!

My experience with Honda has been fantastic over 20 years of ownership with my City and our experience with our little 8 year old Brio has been the same.

Would never consider a Skoda especially if I was on a budget. I just dont have the time to own a car that has the potential to become a garage queen.
Especially since we now want to retain our cars at least till the 10 year mark.

Both our Honda's have aged very well, been extremely reliable and light on the pocket.

If you want to keep a car for 8 years plus, then Honda's age really well with minimal care and without too much effort. Toyotas too but have never been a fan.

I love my pre-worshipped VW Jetta, but there is always that fear that if something goes wrong with her (god forbid), it will be an expensive proposition.

As an example, I drive Jetta to Mysore for service (as the original owner did) since I am not sure of the care it will receive here in BLR.

[lamborghini]

The Rapid gets my vote.
Its the one car I would like to see in my garage for it's blend of space, practicality, and fun to drive nature.
Service in Mumbai is average / decent and boils down to service advisor really. That being said, I was a happier Skoda customer than I am a VW customer so for this reason the Vento is out.

The next choice would be the ciaz for it's excellent rear seat space and all rounder abilities.

The following though will never make it to the garage for the following reasons:

- The new city - low seating + headroom which is difficult as dad and me are over 6', and it is a little difficult for us to get in and out of when our backs are thrown out.

- Verna: same as above + the i20 is probably more spacious.

- Vento: explained above

- Yaris: we are arguably big time toyota fans (having owned 2 corollas, etios, and a liva) but the Yaris is simply overpriced + cramped. If the rear seat experience were better, it would make it to the list purely because of its neutral manners, tough build, and reliability.

[vb-saan]

Voted for the Rapid.
It maybe the oldest but has aged well and has loads of character. And it gets the basics spot on. That said, if I am buying probably will go with the base variant and do up with some approved accessories. The Monte Carlo could have been a good option but the seats looks outright tacky (at least in the pictures) and also that Android-based screen doesn’t look promising.

[Ranjith812]

Voted for the new Honda City petrol.

City looks more mature than the others both the exterior and interior. It would be a great daily driver, And I simply love the refinement of ivtec.
My second option would be Rapid 1.0 Litre TSi. But lack of service centres let it down.

[RaceHorse]

Voted for Verna, just for that perfect Diesel AT combo.

No other car offers Diesel AT combination and Verna looks premium and loaded with features. Otherwise, if looking only for Petrol then City is unbeatable choice.

[Carz77]

My voting would be:
1. Honda City: I have a Jazz currently and had owned Honda Civic and Accord in US. I love Honda engines, but I think in India they are more in cost cutting mode when it comes to complete package.
2. Skoda Rapid
3. Verna

[PPS]

Voted for the Rapid. The Rider/Rider Plus variants around 9 lakhs OTR make a lot of sense if one is on a strict budget & can tolerate unpredictable Skoda after sales. I wouldn't be thrilled with spending anything over 10 lakhs for a 9yr old car! Rest of the variants feel overpriced.

If one has a budget between 13-15 lakhs, then Honda City is a no-brainer!

[ram.iyer95]

My vote goes for the new Honda City. Primarily because it has something to offer to both the enthusiast driver as well as the family-man looking for a spacious, comfy and reliable ride. And big, NA petrols are anyway a slowly dying breed, so, might as well experience the renowned 1.5 iVTEC before the tiny three-pot turbos take over. If a simple, naturally-aspirated, port-injected 1.5 petrol can stand neck-to-neck with a complex modern Turbocharged GDi, then that would definitely be my pick. The lack of a turbo as well as a complex fuel injection system mean that there are two less things to worry about in the long term. The driver gets to enjoy the sweet powertrain while the passengers get a spacious cabin with the necessary gizmos.

Not really a fan of Honda India particularly due to the company's lackadaisical attitude, but still, the City is a killer overall package in the segment.

[GRAND23]

Voted for Honda City Petrol (manual).
Just today, I drove the new Honda City petrol (5th gen). I must say that I was completely blown out with new improved engine. The low-end torque is much improved and gearbox is butter smooth. In 4th gen, I somehow felt gearbox was not so smooth. In every way, Honda has improved the 5th gen car.

There is no doubt that Skoda 1.0 TSI is superior than city’s performance. But if I want to buy new car in today's market, then I will choose Honda for space, comfort, performance, reliability and better after sales experience.

Hyundai Verna is close competitor but it will win if I select diesel engine. Honda diesel engine is no match to Verna diesel engine.

Some pictures from today’s drive:

[sumeethaldankar]

I can live with a few 0 point seconds slower than the fastest car in the segment if it's ten times more reliable. Honda City for me, the one car to keep if one has to keep a car for a long time.

[avdhesh15]

Voted for the City. It's fast and fun, relatively safe, low maintenance, and most importantly it's crazily reliable!

[jayguar]

Voted for the Rapid 1.0 TSI. Though the exterior and the interior are dated, I still like the looks over the Honda City. I'm definitely not a fan of the new Honda design language. Having owned 4 Hondas (1st gen City and Civic, 2nd gen City and Brio) in the family, didn't want to go back to a Honda again. If the Rapid is not available, I'll have no choice but to go for the City.

[Mynameis]

Voted for Verna (AT).


RAPID - No autobox. Also, outdated exteriors and interiors. Will prefer its cousin Vento over this.

CITY - Have not even seen the new City in person, so will tell keeping last gen in mind, which I have driven extensively. Never liked the light build quality, interior quality which is decent but not good considering its advertised as a 'premium' car, that hip-shaking rear suspension!

CIAZ - Light build, not fun to drive. But then, it was always a family car. So basically, apart from the light build, I have nothing else to complain. Space, suspension comfort wise, Its the best in this list. Interiors are also good looking with all those wood effects. And don't forget the affordable price!

YARIS - Interiors looked basic for the price. Also, outside design did not 'excite' me, though, not bad looking either. Lastly, price was too steep for the top/ one below top variant.

VENTO - Its sort of outdated for 2020. Including interiors, which although very good quality wise but lack that flair. Still, it would have been a strong contender even today if I was in the market for a car in this range.

VERNA - Drove the 2020 Verna recently. Loved the thud of doors. Where Honda has gone southwards over the years, Hyundai has gone northwards. Even the i20 doors feel so heavy. I absolutely love the exterior looks of last and latest gen Verna. Interiors are also very good design and quality wise both. Also all black theme feel sportier and are easy on the eyes.

Suspension had that perfect balance of ride and handling, for a car which will be bought by individuals as well as families. Chassis felt fairly tight and suspension very taut. Overall the car felt very solid. Coming to steering, again very good. Perfectly weighted for city/ drives. Yes, not as direct as an Ecosport, but perhaps no one would complain. Recently drove the CVT variant, found it perfect for city drives and pretty ok for highways too. Go harder on the accelerator for overtaking, screams a bit but gives enough confidence to overtake. And this screaming is likeable, unlike the scream from Baleno CVT.

If there is one mass market car manufacturer which has developed the most in the last decade, its Hyundai. Their products be it i10 nios, i20, Verna, Creta are likeable by all age groups. And are perfectly balanced in all respects so as to keep both a bachelor as well family man happy.

[iamitp]

Voted for the Honda City. Why's there no mention of the Turbo petrol DCT in the likes/dislikes list? Wonder if anyone's been able to TD it thus far. I've trying for the past month in Delhi with no luck.

[deetjohn]

In the land of the skunks, he who has half a nose is king! Oh, how this segment has fallen!

Really glad VAG got that potent little motor for our market! Some excitement at least. But Rapid and Vento are average at best when it comes to handling! Doubt it? Load up OLX and take the Fiesta 1.5 or Linea Tjet for a spin. Those driving machines are of the same vintage and was the segment benchmark back then!

And it really says something about our market when some of the latest entrants still cannot hold a candle to both the Vento and Rapid here. No wonder the segment is dying. I really prefer owning and driving a sedan compared to a SUV. But with this spread, I am not sure. Not a big fan of Jack of all trades! I might as well pick the second generation Thar.

But, if I had to pick one from this list, I will get the Rapid TSI. The Onyx variant to be exact - really like the way it is kitted inside out. And there are some competent discounts for that variant to make sense over the popular Rider.

City leading the poll? It is really amusing to see the pull of the brand in the forum though. The larger market, I understand to some degree! The 4th generation when it debuted was one of the worst cars ever made over here due to blatant cost cutting. Be it build quality, reliability issues, NVH etc. Looks like the new generation has taken care of these severe issues from the initial reports.

But, it is amazing how much of a slack our market can cut for select brands and models. Some brands are punished a little too harsh while others get away with murder. If this reasoning was more uniform and consistent across brands, we could have had a much better buyers market now. With a good spread of strong brands competing against each other and giving us their best. I guess it is asking for too much.